Piper PA-32-260 accident near Williamsport, Indiana, September 24, 1994
On September 24, 1994 at about 1:23 am local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N55DH, was destroyed in an accident near Williamsport, Indiana. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The continued flight into adverse weather conditions, the student's failure to maintain a proper glideslope and the CFI's delay in initiating remedial action. Factors related to the accident were the lightning and turbulent thunderstorm conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 1994 · about 1:23 am local time
- Place
- Williamsport, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N55DH · registry record · serial 32-993
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 21 APPROACH IN RAIN, LIGHTNING, AND LIGHT TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURBULENCE. THE CFI AND STUDENT CONTINUED THE APPROACH AND JUST AS THE AIRPLANE INTERCEPTED THE GLIDESLOPE A 'BRILLIANT FLASH OF LIGHTNING' OCCURRED. OFF FLAGS WERE THEN RECEIVED FOR BOTH THE LOCALIZER AND GLIDESLOPE. AS THE CFI CALLED FOR THE STUDENT TO BREAK OFF THE APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TO IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN. A CONVECTIVE SIGMET FOR IMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WAS IN EFFECT AND HAD BEEN BROADCAST TO THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE; HOWEVER, THE CFI MISINTERPRETED THE INFORMATION AND DID NOT THINK THE SIGMET WAS FOR THEIR AREA.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 795 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 88 in the last 90 days; 63 in the last 30 days; 648 as pilot in command; 340 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,739 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1994; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Y47 New Hudson MI at 11:45 pm
- Destination: DNV Danville IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft; scat at 400 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:44 am from DNV, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.